


Rivals

by Apparentlynotreallyfinnish



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Enemies to Lovers, Idiots in Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:21:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24457357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish/pseuds/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish
Summary: The guy that had plagued Rhett’s existence for the last four months was sitting next to Sierra at the bar. The sight made Rhett’s cheeks burn and his hands tighten into fists. All he could do was to stand still and stare at the dark, feathery hair of his rival as his blood boiled in his veins.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 7
Kudos: 84





	Rivals

**Author's Note:**

> I originally started writing this for the angry sex kink the last kinktober, but I liked the set up so much I decided to make it into a longer fic. I haven't gone back to it since and I have other college rhink fics I'm more into right now, so I thought I'd post this as it is. I might expand on it at some point, though.

Rhett was late. It was like the world had been against him today. Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong and now he was jogging through the chilly, drizzling rain towards the bar where he was supposed to meet Sierra. He’d promised to be there an hour ago and had sent a volley of apologetic texts, recounting all the ways the fates had worked against him, but there had been no answer. He glanced at his phone again while he ran through the rain-slicked streets. Still nothing. Maybe she’d left. Maybe she was angry. Rhett certainly was. To himself. He’d finally managed to get a date—a real one, not some group hangout— with her and fucked it up before it even began. 

Chest tight and stomach churning, Rhett busted into the bar. He was slammed with the music blaring way too loudly and the pungent air of too many people sweating in a confined space. The bar was packed with people, mainly other college students enjoying the end of the semester. Rhett craned his neck—not that he needed to since his height was an advantage in situations like this—and searched for the familiar blue-tinted hair. Relief flooded him when he finally spotted her at the bar. _She’s still here!_ He started to maneuver through the crowd towards her, readying himself for some groveling to make up for his lateness.

But as he neared her, melodic laughter caught his attention. His stomach sank and the tightness returned into his chest. No, _it can’t be…_

But of course, it was.

The guy that had plagued Rhett’s existence for the last four months was sitting next to Sierra at the bar. They were laughing at something, both of their heads whipped back. Sierra was holding the boy’s arm and his hand was on her bare thigh, just below the hemline of her miniskirt. The sight made Rhett’s cheeks burn and his hands tighten into fists. 

If the day had been better; if he would’ve in a better mood, he might have walked up to them, smiled confidently, and stolen Sierra away for a date she’d never forget. But all he could do now was to stand still and stare at the dark, feathery hair of his rival as his blood boiled in his veins.

Charles Lincoln Neal the Third. _Link._ Even his name made Rhett feel squirmy and heated. From anger. From frustration. From some unnamed feeling that ran deep inside him and scared the fuck out of him. 

With stiff posture, Rhett marched towards them. Link noticed him first and his face morphed into a maddening smirk.

“Oh, look who finally decided to show up!” he exclaimed, tapping Sierra’s shoulder. She turned and her face lit up. She slid down from the barstool and wrapped her slender arms around Rhett’s waist. The hug was tight and friendly, but he barely responded to it. All he could do was stare at Link who lifted a bottle of beer onto his lips and chugged from it, maintaining intense eye-contact with Rhett. He looked positively gleeful. 

“I’m so glad you’re here! Link here was keeping me company while I waited. Isn’t that sweet of him?” Sierra babbled with her arms still loosely around Rhett. “Want something to drink?”

“Yeah, _sweet_ ,” Rhett repeated through gritted teeth. “Link is such a sweetheart. A goddamn angel of a person.” He was having a hard time not letting his voice lower to a growl. Sierra looked at him, eyes wide and brows raised. Rhett knew he was making matters worse, but he couldn’t stop himself. This was the last straw; this was his breaking point. 

Everywhere he went, Link was there—all the classes, all the study groups, all the parties. Everywhere he looked, all he could see was that goddamn mop of hair, those piercing, blue eyes that seemed to charm everyone around him, that pout of a mouth that seemed to only spout things that made Rhett feel inferior and stupid. And worst of all, there was that ever-present smirk that was fast on its way to make Rhett lose his mind for good.

“Can I talk to you outside for a minute?” Rhett asked, congratulating himself on not yelling. Link quirked an eyebrow and glanced at Sierra. She still looked perplexed by the turn of the events.

“Rhett, what are you—? We were just talking,” Sierra said, reaching for Rhett’s hand. Rhett shook it away. Her face fell and somewhere on the back of his mind Rhett registered the change. This might be the thing that guaranteed that there would be no future with her, but Rhett’s mind was red-hot coal of anger and he was bursting at the seams to burn Link down with himself.

Slowly, Link leaned to whisper into Sierra’s ear, “I’ll be right back.” They exchanged a worried look that Rhett knew was fake on Link’s side but possibly real on Sierra’s. Link motioned Rhett to follow him. He still had the faux-concerned smile on his face. It made Rhett bristle. He stomped past Link and grabbed his arm to drag him out of the bar. 

It had stopped raining, but the air was cold in that wet way that made you cold to your bones. There was a narrow alley between the bar and an apartment building next to it. Rhett didn’t stop until they were well away from the earshot of anyone milling about outside the bar.

He finally let go of Link and whirled around to stare at him. Link’s expression had changed completely. There was no more faked concern, no more teasing smirk. If ice could burn it would be the color of Link’s eyes right now. His lips were pressed into a tight line and he was rubbing his arm as if Rhett had hurt him. Faker.

“What the fuck are you doing here? With her?! I thought we agreed that you would back the hell off!” Rhett barked. Link whipped his head back and laughed mockingly.

“I said I’d give you a chance, _ball boy_. It’s your own damn fault that you went and blew it like I knew you would!”

“Fuck off. I was late! Unforeseen circumstances. And how would you even know that if you weren’t stalking us at the bar? You’re such a creep,” Rhett huffed, looking at Link with contempt.

“I was already there. She came to me! You think I care enough about your lackluster love life to know where you’re attempting to woo the girls unfortunate enough to step in your path? This is my regular place, I come here almost every Friday! I live in that building!” Link’s voice was rising and he pointed at the apartment building they were standing beside.

 _Huh._ That was news to Rhett. He should have known, though. Link was exactly the type of person not to live in a dorm. He probably thought it was beneath him. _If your name is Something Something_ the Third _you probably have a cushy trust fund and an apartment paid by your dear daddy._

“You seriously think I care enough about you to stalk you?!” Link continued to rant. “You’re so fucking full of yourself. So what if you can throw a ball?! Like that makes you better than everyone else. You act like the world owes you something because you happened to grow into a gangly giant with a smidgen of hand-eye coordination! Some of us are here to learn, to actually better ourselves, to make a difference!” Link was shouting now. His brows were furrowed, and he was pointing at Rhett with a shaky finger.

Rhett almost snarled.

“I’m full of myself?! _Me?!_ You should look into a mirror once in a while, _buddy_. Cramming useless tidbits and facts into your brain does not make you better than me or my teammates! We work so fucking hard, you have no idea! And you do realize I have to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA to keep playing?! I do the work you do _and_ I practice. I better both my mind and my body! My teammates count on me. Who the hell counts on you?! Who needs you to show up in the morning?! No one!”

Link turned around to stomp further into the alley, but not fast enough to hide the hurt that flashed across his face. A sobering wave of uneasiness washed over Rhett. Maybe he’d gone too far with that? But then Link whirled around and strode back to Rhett with that icy-blue stare that always made Rhett feel like he was nothing.

“Like I could ever believe you do all that work by yourself!” Link sneered, crossing his arms over his chest before continuing. “ _Your daddy_ probably pays some cash-strapped tutor to write the papers for you.”

Rhett opened his mouth to defend himself, but no words came out. He stood frozen, trembling from anger. His chest was heaving with pained breaths as he glared at the man standing in front of him. Link met his gaze with pure disgust. When Rhett’s mouth stayed open, but he didn’t speak, Link’s expression slowly morphed into a small smirk. The longer Rhett stayed silent, the wider the infuriating smile grew. Finally, Link tutted and tilted his head to the side before saying: “Cat got your tongue, McLaughlin? Or do you need more than a minute to form a coherent thought?” 

Rhett drew a deep, trembling breath. “You—” he started, but was interrupted by Link.

“I can’t believe Sierra actually agreed to go out with you.” Link let out a haughty laugh. “I guess you were right, I’m _definitely_ not her type if idiots like you are how she likes to get off.” Link shook his head and a curl of hair dropped onto his forehead, partly covering his eyes.

Rhett stared at it, fighting the need to reach out and brush it away. He needed to see Link. _All of him._ Those goddamn eyes looking into his soul and _seeing_ him. How did Link see through the perfectly rehearsed exterior Rhett had maintained since he was thirteen? Link had taken one good look at Rhett all those months ago and somehow he’d been able to see Rhett for what he truly was. _Stupid. Useless. Never good enough. Never going to amount to anything._ Rhett’s whole body was tingling. He despised Link for seeing the real him. 

_I hate him._

Rhett took a step forwards and Link reflexively backed away, lifting his hands to protect himself. Rhett’s eyebrows shot up and he let out a surprised laugh. The hollow sound bounced off the walls of the alley and hit back at Rhett like he’d just mocked himself with it.

“You think I’m gonna hurt you? Jesus. You’re not as smart as you claim to be.”

Link scowled at him and lifted his chin defensively. “Well, what the hell do I know?! You seem like the kind of guy that can’t express his feelings without violence.”

Rhett took another step, forcing Link to back against the rough brick wall. He looked mildly alarmed. The expression made Rhett’s stomach twist into a painful knot, but he pressed on and placed his hands on the brick, trapping Link’s head between them. Link looked up at him, eyes wide and so blue that Rhett almost wanted whimper at the sight of them. 

“How’s this for expressing?” Rhett growled instead and surged forward. Link had nowhere to escape and all he managed to get out was a beginning of an angry shout. It was swallowed by Rhett’s lips pressing against his with almost bruising fierceness. Rhett’s arms enveloped Link into a tight embrace, one snaking around his waist and the other climbing to thread his fingers through those infuriatingly perfect curls. 

It seemed to take a moment for Link to realize what was happening. He was tense and unmoving under Rhett’s heated embrace. Then he suddenly came to and pushed Rhett off of him. Rhett let go without a fight. He backed away, hands lifted, looking at Link with pleading eyes. 

_I shouldn’t have done that. Why did I do that?_

Link stared back, mouth hanging open, eyes wide, chest heaving with shallow, quick breaths.

“I—“Rhett started to explain, to apologize, but he was cut short by Link grabbing his collar and pulling them back together. The hairs on the nape of Rhett’s neck stood on end and a shiver ran down his spine as Link licked his way into Rhett’s mouth and a low moan rolled out of his throat. Rhett pushed Link’s lean body back against the wall, covering every inch of it with his own. 

They kissed like the kiss was a meal neither of them wanted to share—both selfishly taking from the other what they wanted, every movement rough and needy. Link pushed Rhett again, this time following him and flipping their positions. Rhett ended up with his back scraping against the gritty wall.

“Asshole,” Link breathed into the shell of Rhett’s ear before biting down on his neck and sucking the sensitive skin into his mouth. It ached with a sharp pain that went straight to Rhett’s dick. As it swelled in his pants, Rhett could feel the blood pooling under the skin on his neck, forming a bruise that would stay with him for days. The realization that Link was marking him made him growl and search for Link’s lips with his own again. 

“Jerk,” Rhett muttered darkly as he sucked Link’s bottom lip into his mouth, nibbling on it with his teeth until Link was groaning and grinding his hips against Rhett. He was rock-hard. Being able to excite Link like that made Rhett instantly drunk with the power. His laugh was low and rumbled from deep within his chest. Rhett fought to slip his hand between their bodies and palmed Link’s cock through his pants.

“Oh, fuck, Jesus Christ, Rhett, ” Link gasped, rolling his hips against Rhett’s eager palm and attacked Rhett’s neck again with his sharp canines. Rhett whined as Link licked the abused skin to ease the sting made by his sharp teeth.

“Jackass,” Link growled as his hand slipped under Rhett’s shirt and slid up until he found Rhett’s nipple. Link flicked it lightly before twisting it so hard Rhett’s knees almost gave out. A yell got stuck in his throat and he gasped for air, making Link chuckle wickedly against his spit-slicked skin.

“Cocksucker,” Rhett almost purred, smirking down at Link. Link’s eyes squinted at him and he barked out a short laugh.

“Oh, you wish, Stretch. I don’t get on my knees for fuckboys like you,” Link growled.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. This thing throbbing against my palm is singing a different kind of song,” Rhett said with a smirk, squeezing at Link’s bulge. Link bit his lip but the pleasured groan still slipped out. Rhett leaned down to run the tip of his tongue along Link’s bottom lip and coaxed him into a deep, greedy kiss. When they parted for air, Link drew a long, ragged breath, trying to calm down his erratic breathing and muttered, “You think you can just slap your lips against someone, and they’ll instantly give in? You really think too highly of yourself.”

“Seems to be working on you, Neal. You’re gonna take me home, aren’t you? You’re gonna take me home and let me show you what else I can do with these lips,” Rhett teased, still working Link’s cock through his pants. Link’s eyes flashed, anger and want mixing into a deep, piercing glare.

“The fuck I am,” Link snapped and attempted to step away. Rhett took the opportunity and flipped them again, pushing Link against the wall and dropping onto his knees. Link was looking at him thoroughly scandalized and his head whipped towards the street. There were people outside of the bar; they could hear faint laughter and chatter, but none were standing in the view of the alley.

“What are you doing?” Link hissed, grabbing Rhett’s shirt to try and pull him up from the dirty pavement. But Rhett had already opened Link’s fly and was relieving him of his pants with jerky pulls.

“Well, apparently you’re the smart one. So, why don’t you tell me?” Rhett muttered as Link’s pants pooled around his ankles.

“Shit. I— We can’t—” Link muttered, covering his crotch with his hands. Rhett looked up at him. 

“Are you telling me to stop? Because I will,” he promised, voice steady and cool. Link was studying him, maybe trying to gauge his motivations, maybe trying to see if he was serious. Whatever he saw must have convinced him, because his hands dropped to his sides and he screwed his eyes closed. Rhett lifted his hands to the waistband of Link’s boxers and slowly pulled them down. His mouth watered at the bulge wrapped in navy blue fabric and just the thought of getting his mouth on Link was making his cock ache from arousal.

But then Link let out a breathless yelp and shot his hands down to grab the edge of his underwear. The sliver of dark, curled hair disappeared from Rhett’s view as Link struggled to cover himself. 

“I can’t.” Link’s voice was barely louder than a whisper.

Rhett’s stomach sank. _Of course. Like that could actually happen. Like there is a universe where someone like Link would let_ you _touch them._

Rhett scrambled up from the ground, feeling the burn of shame so acutely it choked him. Link pulled up his jeans and hastily zipped them. Rhett was about to step away from him when Link grabbed his arm and pulled him towards an unassuming door near the end of the alley.

“Come on,” Link said, glancing at Rhett from over his shoulder. His eyes were blown black and his voice was shaky. Confused, Rhett followed him to the door. It finally dawned on him when they stopped at the door and Link fished a key out of his pocket.

 _He’s taking me home._ Link Neal _is taking me to his apartment. To his bed._

This was definitely not how Rhett had envisioned his day going.


End file.
